Policeto adopt amiable approach in seat belt drive
JAKARTA (JP): Police have been instructed to give out warnings to motorists not using seat belts in the lead-up to and after a seat belt regulation comes into effect in the capital on Sept. 17, a high-ranking official said on Monday.
"We have to be sensitive about the current situation. We urge people to use safety belts for their own sake. The most important thing is to introduce the idea of wearing the device," city police chief Maj. Gen. Noegroho Djajoesman said.
"Therefore, we will not fine motorists who fail to abide by the regulation (even after the regulation becomes enforceable). We will only remind them and give them warnings," he said during a special event promoting the use of seat belts held at the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle in Central Jakarta.
According to Noegroho, the campaign was intended mainly to help build public awareness ahead of the Sept. 17 imposition date, when all drivers and front seat passengers will be obliged to wear safety belts.
According to Article 23 of Law No. 14/1992, motorists failing to wear seat belts face a maximum one-month jail sentence or a Rp 1 million (US$86) fine.
However, the chief said the rule would only come into effect on Sept. 17, as stipulated in Government Regulation No. 43/1993.
"We understand that motorists who must equip their cars with safety belts will face extra costs, which is difficult during this time of economic crisis.
"Therefore, our campaign will give people a chance to prepare their vehicles with safety belts," Noegroho said.
During Monday's event, police officers along with 60 reporters distributed 5,000 yellow stickers reading: "For Your Own Safety, Use Your Seat Belt".
Persuasive
City police spokesman Lt. Col. E. Aritonang said Monday that promoting the use of seat belts in a persuasive way did not mean that police would be half-heartedly upholding the rules.
"Police, as law officers, will be flexible in imposing, for instance, a sanction based on a certain situation.
"For instance, we'll remind a person whose car is not equipped with seat belts. But an officer may give out a ticket to another motorist who is not wearing a seat belt even though the car is equipped with them," Aritonang explained.
Ministry of Communications spokesman Bambang S. Erlan said recently that owners of vehicles made before 1993, many of which are not equipped with safety belts, would be given two years to equip their cars with the devices.
Such vehicles will be given stickers that read "Seat Belt Free", Bambang said, as quoted by Antara.
Many motorists, especially public transportation drivers, voiced opposition to the regulation.
Togar Tampubolon, a mikrolet (public van) driver said that he did not have enough money to buy seat belts.
"It's already hard to meet the daily rental fee nowadays, let alone to buy safety belts. The owner of my mikrolet doesn't care enough about supplying us with that kind of device."
Rasyid, a bus driver, expressed confusion over the new rule.
"Well, with or without seat belts we already get many tickets. So it's up to the bus company then. I certainly can't afford to buy one."
Meanwhile, vendors of car accessories have said that they have enough seat belts in stock but that they were not too hopeful that sales would pick up significantly.
Affan, a car accessories vendor in Senen market in Central Jakarta, said five to 10 people bought seat belts at his store per day.
"We have enough in stock here because we actually prepared for this back in 1992 (when the regulation was made). But I don't think there will be a sales boom during the crisis," he said.
A manual seat belt costs between Rp 50,000 and Rp 75,000 each, while an automatic seat belt costs from Rp 300,000 to Rp 400,000 each.
"Automatic seat belts are expensive because we have to import them from Hong Kong and South Korea," said Budi Salim, one of the vendors in Sawah Besar, West Jakarta. (edt)